How to choose a high pressure washer - tips and tricks
More and more specialized devices are being manufactured by manufacturers for domestic or professional use, in addition to convenience, adding to customers a new problem - which device to purchase. There is no particular difficulty in installing a high-pressure washer previously accessible only to professionals, but which one to choose among the vast number of proposals - this is becoming a rather difficult task, especially considering the number of characteristics that will have to be taken into account.
You must first understand where to look - towards domestic or professional devices, determine the type of food, you need a mobile or stationary sink, and also solve the issue of the need for heating water. After that, you can already select the necessary characteristics - water pressure, performance and other functionality.
Content:
The device and principle of operation of a high pressure washer
To understand how to choose a high pressure washer, you first need to imagine the principle of operation of the purchased device. Any washing consists of a certain set of components - the difference can only be in their design and additional equipment.
1. Inlet fitting for a water supply hose from an open tank or connecting directly to the pipes of the water supply system.
2. Bundle - pump-electric motor. This is the “heart” of the sink, which takes water from the source and puts it in a high-pressure chamber.
3. Protective automation. It monitors the state of the entire system - so that the engine does not overheat or does not cause excessive pressure in the pump chamber.
4. Pressure hose. Convenience of work depends on its length, and the strength and quality of the materials used are correlated with the total resource of the entire system.
5. Washing gun - a direct tool of the operator of the high pressure washer, which opens and closes the water pressure.
6. Nozzles. With proper selection and use, they significantly increase the convenience of working with a sink and reduce the time spent on it.
7. Network cable. The requirements for its length and level of protection against moisture may vary slightly depending on the class of the sink itself - whether it is mobile or stationary.
8. Housing. Most often used as such on mobile sinks - it can be either with full protection or in the form of a frame on which all components are mounted.
These are only required components of any system. In some cases, the entire structure can be supplemented with additional equipment, for example, a water heating system or protection lines.
What type of pressure washer do you need?
Choosing a pressure washer, you need to start with the answer, for what purposes it will be purchased and how often it will be used. To do this, you need to know the differences between the main varieties of these devices: domestic and professional, mobile and stationary, with autonomous power supply or from the network, as well as in what cases water heating is needed.
Household or professional pressure washers
Any professional equipment differs from household, first of all, a resource of work. If the household high-pressure washer is designed to work an hour or two a day, then professional models can be used, albeit intermittently, but throughout the entire working day.
Accordingly, the power of the devices and the quality of the materials used in their production differ.A household sink with a water flow rate of about 500 l / h will produce a pressure in the range of 20-160 Bar. To reduce the cost and facilitate the entire design, the main components of the washing gun, pump and housing are made of plastic. The engine is mainly used single-phase, with a capacity of not more than 1.5 kW.
Professional models can consume 800-1200 liters of water per hour, but at the same time they give out a maximum pressure of up to 1500 bar, which allows for high-quality cleaning of most surfaces. The materials for the washing gun and pump are dominated by brass, bronze and alloy steel. Depending on the total washing power, one and three-phase electric motors of the order of 3 kW are used.
As a result, if in the household there is no need for prolonged use of a high-pressure washer, then it makes no sense to acquire a professional device, since its maintenance will be quite expensive. The following is a comparison of high pressure washers of various classes.
 |  |  | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary high pressure household washers | Mid-pressure household high pressure washers | Professional pressure washers | |||||||
| Frequency of use | Rare, up to 100 hours per year | Average, several hundred hours a year. | Permanent, thousands of working hours per year. | ||||||
| Pump Material | Cheap, not durable materials. | More expensive materials. | Brass alloy block, steel valves. | ||||||
| Pressure, bar. | 20 - 110 | 160 | 1500 | ||||||
| Water supply, l. / Hour. | 350 | 500 | 600 | ||||||
| Water intake from an external tank | Not | In some models may be present | They can take water from external tanks | ||||||
High pressure washer with or without heating
In any case, hot water copes with pollution better than cold water. But the point in acquiring a sink with a water heating unit is only if you often have to clean the surfaces of oily and greasy contaminants. The need for this often arises when washing in agriculture or at food processing facilities. Also, heating will significantly help when working in the winter, when it will be difficult to clear ice or frozen mud with cold water.
Moreover, the function of heating water requires some knowledge of the rules for its use from the staff. For example, in winter, you can’t start washing with warm water from a machine that is standing in the cold (with a cold body). You must either start washing with cold water, gradually raising its temperature, or drive the car into a warm box and allow the body to “warm up”.
The choice of a heated sink should be treated very responsibly since a diesel burner is often used as a fuser. This is primarily due to the fact that the fast flow of water simply will not have time to warm up with standard electric heating elements, and the installation of powerful heaters with additional tanks is a plus to the cost of electricity. It is also necessary to take into account the inevitable increase in the size and weight of the washing itself and the corresponding loss of mobility, if this is an important factor in the selection.
Among the undoubted advantages of water heating, this is a careful attitude to the paintwork of the car body, which is destroyed by washing with cold water in the winter.
Power-operated or autonomous high pressure washers
Some users mistakenly confuse the way to power a high pressure washer using it as a mobile or stationary device, which is fundamentally the wrong opinion.
High pressure washers can be powered by 220 or 380 volts. Three-phase sinks are powerful professional devices. High pressure washers designed to operate on a single-phase network are the most common devices and are compact, economical models. You need to choose this or that sink depending on your needs.
Autonomous devices can be installed far from power lines and use an internal combustion engine as an energy source. Most often they are used at construction sites or in forestry, in the absence of electricity.
Mobile or stationary high pressure washers
The vast majority of household high-pressure washers are mobile devices, the case of which is often located on a frame with wheels for ease of movement around the site. At the same time, the power of the device is not always tied to its size - not necessarily a mobile sink is a household device and not always stationary is professional, although in most cases it turns out that way.
Installing stationary sinks makes sense only in the room and for work inside it, although such varieties as sinks or gantries can also stand in the open.
Since stationary and water consumption is much greater, there must be a serious reason for installing them in a private garage.
What characteristics should be considered when choosing a high pressure washer
When it is decided which high pressure washer you need to choose, you can move on to the details - the characteristics of the equipment as a whole, as well as the quality and capabilities of its components in particular.
Pressure
The higher the pressure created by the pump in the outlet chamber of the pump and the nozzle of the water gun, the better the quality of cleaning the surface, because a more powerful water stream is easier to remove dirt. The flip side of the coin is the ability to spoil the surface being cleaned, so in some cases it is necessary to apply a stream of water at an angle. For professional pressure washers, a certain qualification of personnel is needed. For average pressure values sufficient for domestic needs, it is considered to be about 100 - 160 Bar, and all that is higher is already the destiny of professional models.
Performance
A somewhat twofold indicator - on the one hand, it simply shows the flow rate of water per hour, and on the other - the washing ability to work without interruption, because at high pressure and low productivity it will be necessary to take breaks until the pump again pumps water into the outlet chamber. Depending on the washing class, the productivity of a household appliance can be from 350 to 500 l / h, while a professional one can be at least 2 times higher.
High pressure washer pump
This is one of the central elements of a high pressure washer - the stability and power of the entire device depends on it in many respects. The task of the pump is to suck in water from the source and feed it into the outlet chamber, creating a pressure of about 150 atmospheres in it. Most often, coaxial pumps with an inclined disk are used in the sinks, which allows you to adjust the pressure directly during operation.
You can often hear controversy about the material used for the pump housing and its pump room, where plastic or metals are used. The cost speaks in favor of plastic, but the most reliable pumps are still metal. Pumps made of plastic are often made not collapsible, and the cost of replacing them can reach half the cost of a new wash and even more.
High pressure washer motor
The main task of the electric motor is to drive the pump, so there are no special requirements for it - the more powerful it is, the easier it will be to cope with the rotation of the pump rotor and to heat less. Most often, collector motors are used, which with a fairly modest size give the necessary power.
When evaluating the engine, it is necessary to additionally relate its characteristics to the applied cooling and protection circuit. The latter, when the pump sets the optimum pressure, can turn off the motor or switch the water flow to the inlet hose.In the first case, during the washing process, the engine will turn on and off several times - accordingly, the damage to the windings from the starting currents will be increased, which reduces the life of the motor (especially considering that starts will occur under load).
Engine shutdown machine
If the pump runs continuously, then overpressure will occur in its discharge chamber. To prevent this from happening, the motor must be switched off periodically, which means the inevitable frequent impact on its windings of inrush currents. This problem does not exist in systems that do not turn off the engine when excessive pressure occurs, but open a valve that transfers water from the pump output tank back to the water supply hose, simply driving it in a circle.
This feature is called "by-pass", Which literally can be translated as a" workaround. " Its presence indicates a slightly higher energy consumption, but this significantly increases the resource of the electric motor. Additional protection of the electric motor is ensured by the presence of a temperature sensor, and a water lock protects the pump chamber from excessive pressure.
High pressure hose and its length
Since the hose must withstand withstand the pressure created by the pump, it is often rigid and slow. Each manufacturer must check it at the factory and issue an appropriate certificate. According to this document, hoses for high pressure in some sinks are designed for a working pressure that is 10% higher than that created by the pump.
The selection of length is carried out depending on the intended use of the pressure washer. A bar length of 4 meters is sufficient for washing the machine, and for cleaning facades or garden paths it is better to choose a longer length - about 7-8 meters.
Long hose devices are sometimes equipped with hose reels. This simplifies the work and extends its service life.
Lever
By and large, the washing gun is part of the high pressure hose, as it simply opens and closes the water outlet. But its design should additionally solve another problem - to provide the operator with free access to the washable surface. Since the high-pressure hose itself bends very poorly, the gun must have a rotating head to direct the water jet to the right place - ideally, it should have complete freedom in all planes.
Detergent Tank
There are two options for implementing this feature. The first option is when there is a special tank in the sink itself, into which the detergent is poured. It is dosed and mixed with water coming out of the gun.
The second option is when water is mixed with detergents when it leaves the washing gun, for which purpose a special tank with a nozzle is attached to the latter. When mixed with water, the detergent gives a plentiful foam, which greatly simplifies the entire washing process. If there is a need for the use of detergents, then it is necessary to select devices with this function. See photos of such nozzles in the last section of the article.
Water intake function
This is the first link of the entire device, which is responsible for supplying water to it. Depending on the type of washing, the hose is connected to the water supply, or lowered into any suitable container (barrel, tank, etc.). If this is the first option, then in order to prevent reverse water hammer, at the time of peak pressure build-up, a non-return valve is installed on the hose. It does not allow the water from the sink to "push" back into the water supply. In some cases, such a valve is installed when taking water from open containers.
Devices with the ability to take water from containers are more versatile and can be used in any conditions, regardless of whether there is a water supply system or not.
Total Stop Function
Increased water pressure imposes certain restrictions on the time of continuous operation of any sink - household or professional.Usually this is 20 minutes, after which the equipment must be turned off "for rest" - the Total Stop system, combined with other protective sensors, monitors this time. Literally, the name of the function can be translated as “full stop”.
Nozzles
The standard nozzle for a high pressure washer is usually a fan, creating a flat stream of water. With this orientation, it is convenient to wash both small parts and large surfaces, including garden paths.
The next most popular is the so-called "mud cutter", which creates a rotating fluid flow, well washing off even dried dirt.
With frequent work with old, difficult to remove impurities, you can purchase a sandblasting nozzle that, together with water, emits particles of sand, which at times increases the cleaning efficiency.
Network cable
The use of live wires at the sink automatically imposes certain requirements for their protection against moisture. In addition to moisture-proof shielding of the wires, the sockets to which the sink is connected must have a protection class that ensures their functioning when they are doused with a direct stream of water (anything can happen). Also a mandatory requirement is the grounding of the line.
Housing
The body of the pressure washer should protect the motor and its contacts from splashes and direct jets of water, but at the same time allow enough air to cool. If a mobile sink is purchased, then the housing device should allow easy carrying of the entire device.
Selection of nozzles and brushes for high pressure washing
Initially, high pressure washers were designed to clean surfaces in a non-contact way - that is, simply with a stream of water supplied with high pressure. After the sinks became available to a wide range of users, manufacturers began to equip the washing guns with various nozzles in order to increase their capabilities. Some of them change the shape of the water jet, while others are additionally equipped with brushes with a pile of various lengths and stiffnesses - this allows you to combine the effectiveness of non-contact cleaning with the ability to clean dirt by contact or foaming detergents.
Stiffness bristles
Bristles are usually used in two types of stiffness - with soft nap, for smooth surfaces and hard, which is convenient to clean dirt from places with a rough coating. Hard brushes are also used to clean shovels and similar garden tools, which there is no fear of scratching. The location of the brush can be arbitrary - along the handle or across, like a mop.
Type and shape of handles
Handles for brush nozzles are used in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, which allows you to get the brush in the most inaccessible places. The most budgetary solution is still the usual "stick", but you can always choose a telescopic or movable one, which changes the angle of the bend of the handle. For quick change of nozzles, they are standardly equipped with a bayonet connector.
Varieties of nozzles
Different types of nozzles are more convenient for certain types of pollution. The main difference between the two is the shape of the brushes and the generated water flow.
1. With a rotating head that rotates due to the pressure of the water jet. It can be combined with a nozzle of the “water mill” type - the result is a double cleaning mechanism: a stream of water “breaks” the dirt, and the brush cleans its residues. When using a hard pile, this is ideal for cleaning garden paths, and a brush with a soft sponge will gently clean the car body or glass.
2. Nozzle with nozzle and additional detergent tank. Designed specifically for whipping and applying foam to the surface - after softening the dirt, other nozzles are already used to clean it.
3. Sponge nozzle - for washing windows or for easy cleaning of the car body in case of light pollution. The nozzle can be used for applying foam or grinding detergents, and after supplying water, the brush itself erases this foam.
4. A mop head that cleans dirt with stiff bristles through which water is supplied. If the surface is scratch resistant, the use of such a nozzle will seriously accelerate and facilitate the cleaning process.
5. Rotating brush head cone - The main purpose is to clean the bolt holes of the rims or similar inaccessible places.
It must be remembered that universal brushes and nozzles do not exist, so it is advisable to imagine where the high pressure washer will be used. This will help to purchase the necessary components for it, without spending additional funds on equipment, which will gather dust in the warehouse.
